Automatic weft-replenishing loom.



A. E. RHOADES. AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM. APPLICATION TILED NOV.23, 1907.

Patented 001;. 18, 1910.

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A. E. RHOADES.

AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1907.

Patented Oct. '18, 1910.

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ALONZO E. RHOADES, HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COM-PANY, 0F PORTLAND,

VIVIAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

AUTOMATIC WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOlVL Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Application filed November 23, 1907. Serial No. 403,551.

,bin, cop, spindle or the like) for the spent weft-carrier in theworking shuttle, it is important that' the shuttle should be correctlylocated with respect to the incoming freshweft-carrier at the timereplenishment is to take place. Heretofore automatic weftreplensihinglooms of this character have been provided with a shuttle-feeler whichrenders the transferring mechanism inactive is case the shuttle ismisplaced too far inwardly toward the middle of the loom when a changeof weft-carriers is called; and an inclined bridge within the shuttlehas been employed to secure proper registration between the shuttle andthe incoming weftcarrier in case the shuttle is misplaced too faroutwardly away from the middle of the loom, this latter expedient beingopen to some objection on account of the occasional breakage ofweft-carriers due thereto.

The object of the present invention is to provide mechanism independentof the transferring mechanism for correctly locating the shuttle withrespect to the holder for the spare weft-carrier next to be inserted incase the shuttle is misplaced too far outwardly away from the middle ofthe loom.

The improved mechanism is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein Figure l, is a longitudinal section through a portion of the endof the lay at the weftreplenishing side of the loom and through aportion of the weft-replenishing mechanism. Fig. 2, is a view lookingtoward the rear of the same end of the lay showing the mechanism whichacts to correctly position the outwardly misplaced shuttle. Fig. 3, is ahorizontal section along the line 3, in Fig. 2, this section being ahorizontal one passing through the picker stick and showing the shuttlepositioning mechanism in lan. p The drawings illustrate so much of themechanism of the well-known Northrop or Draper loom (illustrated, forexample, in

United States Letters Patent No. 529,940, November 27, 1894) as isnecessary for an understanding of the present improvement.

A, is a portion of the lay at the replenishing side of the loom; B, is aself-threading shuttle having weft-carrier spring jaws a; C, C, areweft-carriers each having projecting annular rings 12, cooperating withthe spring jaws a, D, is a portion of the holder for the freshweft-carriers, such holder being a rotary magazine in the Draper loom;E, is the fixed stand supporting the magazine or weft-carrier holder; F,is the transferrer which, when a change of weft-carriers is called,descends and forces the fresh weft-- carrier occupying the transferringposition into the shuttle and concurrently ejecting downwardly the spentweft-carrier; G, is the picker at the replenishing side of the loom; H,is the picker stick; and I, is the shuttle-feeler which, in case theshuttle is misplaced inwardly and too near the middle of the loomwhen'the change is called, encounters the shuttle and prevents theaction of the transferrer. The shuttle-feeler may be arranged to operateas in United States Letters Patent N 0. 664,790, dated December 25,1900. All of these parts cooperate in the same way as in the Draperloom.

The added parts illustrated in the drawings relate to the devices formoving the shuttle longitudinally into correct position relatively tothe fresh weft-carrier next to be supplied in case the shuttle is toofar out (that is, away from the middle of the loom) at the moment when atransfer of weft-carriers is to take place. These added parts act tomove the picker inwardly a sufficient distance to properly locate theshuttle with respect to the incoming weft-carrier. As shown in Figs. 1,and 2, there is a depending bracket K, secured to the outer end of thelay at the replenishing side of the loom. A shuttle placer L, isadjustably pivoted at 0, to this bracket and extends horizontallyoutside of the picker-stick, as shown in Figs. 2, and 3. The outer endof this shuttleplacer is pivoted at (Z, to the outer end of a horizontallink M, which at its inner end is pivoted to a pintle N, which isadjustably secured to a fixed bracket 0. As the lay swings back andforth the shuttle-placer L, is swung in and out relatively to thepickerstick, as illustrated by the full and dotted lines in Fig. 3,which indicate the position of the shuttle-placer, the lay and thepicker stick at different portions of the swing of the lay. hen theshuttle-placer occupies the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, itis positioned so far outwardly that it does not interfere with thecustomary outward stroke of the picker-stick. When, however, the layswings to its forward position the shuttle-placer, through its linkconnection with a stationary part of the loom, swings to its positionshown in full lines in Fig. 3, thereby moving the picker-stick inwardlya definite and certain distance. This inward movement of thepicker-stick carries the picker with it and, if the shuttle thenoccupies a position too far out relatively to the fresh weft'carriernext to be inserted, the shuttle is moved longitudinally inward adefinite distance, so as to locate it with its contained weft-carrierimmediately below the fresh weft-carrier next to be inserted.

This shuttle-placing mechanism is independent of the weft-replenishingmechanism and not only has the merit of placing the shuttle, when achange is called, in correct position, but it tends to preserveuniformity of picking action, since the shuttle ordinarily occupies adefinite position in the shuttle-box at each pick. This is due to thefact that the shuttle placer L is operatively connected with constantlymoving parts of the loom, namely the lay and the link M, so that theshuttle placer performs its correcting oflice each time that the shuttleis in the shuttle box at the replenishing side of the loom. The shuttleis positioned by the shuttle-placer before the incoming freshweftcarrier comes in contact with any part of the shuttle or with thespent weft-carrier, so that in its descent it squarely encounters thespent weft-carrier while eject-ing it downwardly, so that there is nobreakage of weftcarriers and no improper grasping of the freshweft-carrier by the shuttle jaws. The shuttle placer acts positively byvirtue of positively actuated mechanical connections so that the shuttleis positively moved into place irrespective of any variations in theforce with which it is driven or in the effectiveness of the applianceswhich retard or check its flight. The shuttle-placer acts to correctlylocate the shuttle in case it is driven too far out. In case the shuttleis too far in when a change is called it is encountered by theshuttle-feeler and the transferrer is thereby prevented from action inthe manner customary in the Draper loom. The shuttle placer may be shodwith leather where it touches the picker-stick, as indicated at e, inFig. 3.

I claim:

1. An automatic weft-replenishing loom, wherein replenishment iseffected by substituting a fresh weft-carrier for the spent weft-carrierin the shuttle, having, in combination, a shuttle; weft-replenishingmechanism; a shuttle-placing mechanism independent of theweft-replenishing mechanism and acting to move the shuttle inwardly andinto registration with an incoming fresh weft-carrier.

2. A loom having, in combination, a lay; a picker-stick; ashuttle-placer pivoted to the lay and outside of the picker-stick; and alink connecting the other end of the shuttleplacer to a fixed part ofthe loom.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ALONZO E. RHOADES.

Witnesses GEORGE OTIS DRAPER, ARTHUR S. BRowNE.

